Love Is An Open Door

Several of our favorite places have started to open back up since the pandemic started, and we could not visit fast enough!

Our first stop was the Atlanta Botanical Gardens last weekend. The weather was beautiful, and it was Jay's first time to walk through the gardens without a specific event like the holiday lights. One of my favorite flowers, the hydrangea, was in full bloom, and everyone was happy to be back to one of our normal spots.

Jacob took a nasty spill early in our day, but he toughed it out and wore his battle wounds proudly. :)

I bribed the kids with popsicles to take a Memorial Day Weekend picture with Rosie when we got home. Whatever works...

Next we hiked up Stone Mountain as a family on Monday. It was overcast which helped a lot with the climb. It was the first time all three kids independently completed a hike without being carried or whining. All three had the best attitudes, and Maggie has even requested returning for her birthday!

We were so proud of Tuttle, Maggie, and Jacob for completing such a big activity, and we are looking forward to more hikes soon!

Our field trips did not stop there. We met up with some of our best friends for a visit to the Atlanta Zoo on Wednesday. It might have rained almost the entire time, but it kept the crowds away completely, and the animals were very active. We literally barely saw anyone while we were there. During the biggest span of rain, we huddled under the roof at the gorgilla exhibit, so the kids could enjoy a snack. We just love Eden and Chip so much! (Yes, the matching clothes was 100% intentional.)

We are trying to return back to normal as quickly and safely as possible. I think we see a light at the end of this quarantine tunnel!

We are also less than THREE WEEKS away from closing on both our current home and our new home. Jay and I cannot wait to start this new adventure. The master bathroom renovation is complete, we are starting to get boxes to pack up, and we visited the new house again today with Gram and Grumps and won their approval.

Because we like to live on the wild side, we are fitting in a vacation next week before crunch time!

Summertime

We finished virtual school and started summer vacation! It was the most bizarre end to a school year ever without yearbooks, field day, parties, and stress!

To make our crazy quarantine lives even more insane, we have added a complete master bathroom renovation, going under contract on our house, and putting a contract on a new home in Roswell. The Thorne Family does not like life to get boring. Luckily everything is going very smoothly and falling into place perfectly. More details on all that once the process wraps up....

The kids have been such troopers driving around looking at houses and running errands to Lowe's for supplies. Since there are still restrictions for the pandemic, most of the time Tuttle, Maggie, and Jacob stay in the car. We Facetimed our home tours when possible.

While our house was being inspected, the kids and I escaped to pick strawberries. Jacob was the strawberry king and filled his basket to overflowing. He also hid among the plants and snacked on his finds. Maggie was less than thrilled that her shoes got covered in mud. :)

We are looking forward to (and PRAYING! for) all the changes for our family. This new adventure is officially starting!

Mother's Day 2020

Another holiday was celebrated during the pandemic, but this one felt much more normal. I spent the entire day with Gram, and I loved every second.

After sleeping in, I put on real clothes and met Gram for a surprise lunch at Ray's On The River. It was their first day back open for dine in service, and Gram jumped at the chance to celebrate motherhood in such special place. The fixed Mother's Day menu was four courses of deliciousness with more options than we could begin to eat. Bonus that I did not help anyone else cut up their food, and Gram and I stayed in our seats for the entire meal! :)

After eating a week's worth of calories, I joined Gram on her daily five mile walk. She is almost 70 years old and in way better shape than me! 

I took advantage of a quiet house and grabbed a two hour nap before returning home. Quarantining during your retired years is much more relaxing than with kids!

I am so lucky to be the mommy to three babies. I could not imagine my life any other way, and I soak up every second I get raising them. 

I am also blessed to be surrounded by such great examples to guide this crazy, stressful, exhilarating journey. Happy Mother's Day to Gram, Grandmommy, Aunt Peach, and all the other influential mothers in my life.

Coming Out of Hibernation

We are continuing to start entering back into society with some normal activities. When Gram suggested that she could babysit on Friday evening, we could not run out the door fast enough for a date night!

We are trying to support local businesses as much as we can, so we tried out a new restaurant for us, Capital Grille. I do not know if it was the fact that I was not cooking OR washing dishes, but it was one of the best meals that I have ever eaten. I tried the seared tuna and lobster macaroni and cheese, and Jay had to practically roll me out of the restaurant. To be honest since we have not been out in months, we were so tired by 9pm, but we stayed out a little later to savor the kid free time.

On Saturday we packed up the family for a fun afternoon with Aunt Peach, Uncle Drew, and the girls. It was a beautiful, warm spring day, and everyone had the best time. The kids had a pool, bounce house, water table, outdoor water bed, and art supplies to keep them entertained for hours. The grown ups had food and alcohol to keep them busy. :)

Maggie managed to arrange a sleepover, so the boys and I left ready to dive into bed.

We continued with more branching out on Sunday and enjoyed lunch on the patio at Savi. We were the only people there, so we could still be socially distanced, but it felt like we could see a glimpse of normalcy in our future. We all miss our friends and family and hope to continue adding more back into our lives.

Reunited with Cousins

Georgia is slowly starting to open back up after the peak of the Coronavirus. We are still hesitant to dive fully back into all our normal activities, but we have decided to start spending limited time with family. Today Aunt Peach and I surprised the cousins with an adventure to Pettit Creek Farms in Cartersville.

The farm has remained open during the pandemic because the animal tour is done completely from your own car. We arrived right when the gates opened, so the animals would be hungry for the snacks we bought to share.

My crew spent the entire ride on top of my Enclave while Holland and Piper played it safer inside. I am shocked no one even came close to falling off, especially Jacob who monkeyed all over the car.

The farm was filled with tons of animals, but the highlight was feeding the camels. As soon as the herd saw us approach, they were ready for food and had no problem sticking their heads right through the open windows.

We also loved watching the kangaroos, zebras, George the Giraffe, and all the sweet typical farm animals including pigs, goats, llamas, sheep, and cows. Tuttle's favorite animal was the tiniest black lamb.

We did not want the day to end so quickly, so we found an empty spot in town for lunch. It was our first time in a restaurant in two months, and we were ready to avoid dishes for one meal.

Everyone is figuring out a new normal, and I am so happy that we can start hugging our family again.

Ten.

I cannot believe we have a TEN YEAR OLD. I swear he was just born yesterday. We celebrated during this crazy time in a very unique way.

Tuttle started his birthday with doughnuts delivered from his best buddies. They were left at the front door due to social distancing, but we quickly pounced on them.

I told all three kids that we would not do any school work all day. Tuttle could do exactly as he wanted all day which I know would include hours of video games.

Maggie convinced him to play soccer outside which worked perfectly for our secret car parade. I sent out the word that we would love friends and family to drive by between 11:30-12:00 to recognize the birthday boy. They could honk, make signs, and yell from their cars. Over 20 cars showed up, and Tuttle was absolutely thrilled to see so many special people that he had not seen in months. This is definitely a birthday he will never forget!

Grandmommy and Grandaddy visited in the front yard six feet away from us for the parade, and they brought his gift to open in person. I think their gift was the biggest hit of the day: a hooverboard!

Tuttle also received a new bike from Gram and Grumps a day early. He is set to spend more time outside!

Maggie made Tuttle a homemade pinata out of an Amazon box (to support Daddy!) to look like a Nintendo Switch. It was completely her idea. They might fight constantly, but Maggie sure loves her big brother.

The birthday also included Tuttle's favorite meals: tacos and Bubba Burgers with fries. Tuttle rated his birthday a 10/10. He is so resilient during this quarantine. 

I swear he looks bigger now that he crossed into double digits. Happy birthday to our boy! We are so lucky to have you as ours.

Life Lately

Another week in quarantine has come and gone. We still remain smiling. 

We are really able to see the kids' creativity come out without being rushed to more practices or complete another homework assignment.

Only one child has attempted to run away since social distancing. I call that a win.

Rosie planned a playdate with her neighbor buddies. I think all the Thorne humans were a little jealous.

Tuttle is counting down the days until his birthday on Tuesday. I am trying to forget that I am going to have a TEN YEAR OLD. Some of his presents have started to arrive, and we could not wait to try them out. I do not know who is more excited about the Nerf guns from Ms. Jenna.

Everyone is just relieved after four full weeks together at home that we actually like each other! :)